Member for South Holland and The Deepings since 1997.
Committees: Vice-Chair, British Caribbean Association since 1997; Joint Chair All-Party Disablement Group since 1998; Member, Education Select Committee 1998-99; Member, Agriculture Select Committee 1997-99; Vice-Chair Conservative Backbench Education Committee 1997-99; former Chair County Conservative Group's Campaigns Committee; Former Chair, YC; Chair, University of Nottingham Conservative Association; Chair, East Midlands Regional Conservative Students; National Committee Member, FCS. Secretary All-Party Acquired Brain Injury Committee. Political career: Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries since 2002; Opposition Pairing Whip 2001-02; Acting Head of the Political Section of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition 2001; Frontbench Education and Employment Spokesman 2000-01; Vice-Chair, Conservative Party 1999-2000; County Councillor, Nottinghamshire County Council 1985-98; County Conservative Spokesman on Education 1988-97; Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Derbyshire North East, General Elections 1987 and 1992. Special political interests: Education, parties, elections and campaigning; political ideas and philosophy; local government; agriculture, commerce and industry; welfare of the elderly and disabled. Education: Colfe's Grammar School, London; University of Nottingham, BA (Hons) Politics and, subsequently, a PGCE History/English. Affiliations: Member, Countryside Alliance; Countryside Member, NFU; Member, SPUC; Patron of the charity Headway, Cambridgeshire; Hon Vice-Chair, Conservatives Against a Federal Europe; Carlton Club, London; Spalding Club, Lincolnshire. Author of: various books and pamphlets including: Representing Rural Britain - Blair's Bogus Claims - Conservative Policy Forum 2000; Answer the Question: Prime Ministerial Accountability and the Rule of Parliament - Politeia 2000; Tony B Liar - A Study of Prime Ministers Questions - Conservative Party 2001. Hobbies: The Arts (particularly English, painting, poetry, prose), history, gardening, antiques, sports, food and wine.
b. 23 June 1958. Married with one child.

2005				2001
CON HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
Conservative	27,544	57.1	1.7	25,611	55.4
Labour	11,764	24.4	-7.0	14,512	31.4
Lib Dem	6,244	12.9	2.6	4,761	10.3
UKIP	1,950	4.0	1.2	1,318	2.9
Independent	747	1.6	-	-	-
Majority	15,780	32.7		11,099	24
Turnout	48,249	62.3	-0.2	46,202	62.5